The present invention relates generally to produce conveyor and sorting systems and, more specifically, to a produce and sorting conveyor system that is capable of sensing heavy loads and altering the speed of the machinery accordingly.
Farm equipment that is used to sort and grade produce is well known in the art. Specifically, sorting and grading systems that handle tuber and root produce are well known and have been specifically designed to handle the particular types of problems inherent in transporting and sorting such tuber and root produce. For example, tuber and root produce often has dirt, rocks and other debris that must be sifted and removed from the produce prior to sorting. Further still, roots and tubers typically grow to varying levels of maturity and size that require small young roots of little commercial value to be removed during sorting much like the dirt, rock, and debris.
Additionally, root and tuber type sorting apparatus must be able to handle large loads of produce being sorted in a cost effective and efficient manner that not only removes the great bulk of the dirt, rock, and debris inherent in the harvesting of such roots and tubers, but also does not bruise the produce or damage it in any way that would affect its commercial value at the time of sale of such produce.
Some prior art machinery include a hopper from which the recently harvested produce is then placed on a conveyor belt which transports the produce to the sorting location. This type of machinery typically comprises a series of rollers that include fingers or tines that move the produce from the conveyor belt to the sorting rollers and then to a subsequent conveyor belt that either removes the debris and rejected produce because of improper size or to conveyors that take it for storage and sale. There is sufficient space between the rollers that the dirt and debris fall quickly through without losing the commercial product. Next, the produce is transported to another series of rollers that further sort the produce according to size and weight, with the rejected matter removed. Finally, the remaining produce is transported via storage conveyors to a holding bin or vehicle adjacent the sorting apparatus so that the produce can be taken to the proper storage facility or transport location from the field.
Unfortunately, although many of the problems inherent with sorting through root and tuber type produce have been overcome, there are still other problems that have yet to be eliminated. For example, the speed with which the sorting and transport of acceptable produce occurs is still limited by the ability of the machines to sort through the produce in a quick and efficient manner. One problem facing the sorting of such produce effectively and efficiently is that large loads of produce can be placed at the hopper portion of the conveyor prior to reaching the rollers. When this large portion of produce is placed on the conveyor, a large pile of produce and material is transported up the conveyor into the rollers. This large quantity of matter typically forms multiple layers of debris and produce on the rollers and cannot be sorted effectively. Since most roller systems require that the produce pass in a single uniform layer allowing unacceptable produce to be disposed of through the gaps in the rollers, the upper portions of the pile of produce do not have an opportunity to fall through the rollers transporting the bottom of the pile and are therefore not sorted. Instead, the unsorted upper levels pass by the roller tines to the final conveyors. Further still, rollers can become caked with debris such as mud and dust, efficiently decreasing the size of produce and debris that can pass through the openings between the roller.
Accordingly, what is needed is a produce sorting apparatus that is able to handle large loads of produce at an initial loading phase without experiencing clogging or overwhelming the sorting apparatus so that proper sorting will occur.
The present invention incorporates a load sensing mechanism which signals to a control unit a particular load weight, such as produce, etc. The control unit calculates the optimal speed for processing that amount of load and varies the speed of the motor or motors that actuate the translocation of the load. When no load is sensed, the entire unit can be switched off. When an above-normal load is sensed, speeds are adjusted accordingly to accommodate the increased load. This load sensitivity allows the load to be processed with the greatest amount of consistency and efficiency.
The present invention features a load sensitive, mechanical dynamics adjusting system. This system comprises a) means for receiving a load at a first point; b) means for translocating the load from the first point to at least a second point; c) means for sensing the load weight at any point; d) means for electrically transmitting the load weight information detected by the means for sensing; and d) means adjusting the speed of the means for translocating the load as needed. The means for receiving a load can be any type of machinery assembly or apparatus capable of receiving a load and physically moving the load, such as a hopper assembly and conveyor, a duster, a tractor, or any other machinery known by those skilled in the art. The means for translocating can be a conveyor or roller or any other apparatus capable of moving a load from one point to another. The means for sensing the load may be a strain gauge or any other type of instrument capable of sensing or detecting a load. Those skilled in the art will not be limited by the disclosure herein.
The present invention further features a load sensitive, mechanical dynamics adjusting system which comprises a) a load receiving member for receiving a load at a first point; b) at least one load translocator for moving the load from a first point to at least a second point, the load translocator comprising at least one mechanical load moving device coupled to a variable speed motor; c) a load sensing device coupled to the load receiving member, the load sensing device capable of sensing a load weight and transmitting a signal corresponding to the load weight; and d) a control unit electrically connected to the load sensing device, the control unit receiving and calculating the signal corresponding to the load weight as transmitted by the load sensing device, and adjusting the variable speed motor as needed, thus adjusting the speed of the at least one load translocator. This feature further includes an inverter and/or hydraulic drive allowing the motor to attain different speeds.
The load sensitive, dynamics adjusting system is capable of sensing loads and adjusting the speed of the motor according to the weight of these loads. If the load is particularly heavy, the load sensing device will sense this and send such information to the control unit where the information is calculated and processed. Subsequently, the control unit adjusts the speed of the motor accordingly so that the heavy load may more easily be accommodated. If there is no load or a substantially weightless load, the load sensing device detects this and sends this information to the control unit. Similar to the adjusting of the variable speed motor due to a heavy load, the control unit again adjusts the speed of the motor, in this case to a stopped position. The control unit is capable of adjusting the speed of the variable speed motor to several various speeds as needed to accommodate a particular load.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for conveying and sorting produce is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a) a hopper having a first and a second end; b) a conveyor for transporting the produce from the first end to the second end; c) a roller bed, coupled to the second end of the hopper; d) a variable speed motor, coupled to the rollers in the roller bed and the load sensing device, to vary the speed of transport of the rollers in the roller bed; e) a load sensing device, coupled to the hopper, the load sensing device capable of detecting the amount of load on the hopper and transmitting this information; and f) a control unit electrically connected to the load sensing device, the control unit calculating the information received from the load sensing device, wherein the control unit adjusts the speed of the conveyor and roller bed as needed.
In one particular embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a produce conveyor, coupled to a second end of the roller bed. In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a first debris removal conveyor, positioned under a portion of the roller bed. A second debris conveyor may also be provided, which is positioned below a second portion of the roller bed. The roller bed may also comprise a plurality of roller sections. At least one roller section serves primarily to filter out dirt from the produce and another section primarily serves to filter out produce of a given size for removal.